Their Honorable Battle
by Riny Beoulve
Summary: Ramza gets into an interesting battle at Finath River and learns that even a Goblin can show great courage and sacrifice


"We should be on our way to Igros soon," I said to Agrias who was finishing purchasing her new Lancer equipment.  
  
"Yes, you're right." Agrias looked up at the others. "Everyone ready? Let's go." Our mostly magician-group traveled to Finath River.  
  
But the most interesting battle ensued while we were at Finath River.  
  
We were at the small delta below the waterfall. I was accompanied by Summer Victoria, Wizard Sachiko, Monk Mustadio, and Knight Beowulf. I was a Bard. I know, me as a bard wasn't likely, but it's a long story. To make it short, Agrias had convinced me that I too should try one of the less signifcant classes, and it was working really well. I could attack well with the Bloody Harp, and I was able to support my fighting friends with Nameless Song.  
  
I was holding onto the Harp walking into the battle. "Ramza! Hang on!" I heard Sachiko cry out to me. I felt Mustadio's armored arm hold me back.  
  
"What?" I asked.  
  
"Look!" Beowulf cried. I saw Victoria step back in shock. I caught her in one arm. I knew she'd need the comfort after the sight I just saw. Hell, I was scared to death.  
  
To the right of us was a group of five Behemoths and a Pisco Demon in the lead looking across to the left bank. My eyes drifted to the left side where there were three Bull Demons and one Goblin. They appeared to be stronger then us, but weaker then the Pisco Demon group.  
  
Victoria cried out when she saw one of the Behemoths look at her and nearly passed out. Mustadio gave her an X-potion. She clung to me in fear as Sachiko and I tried to console her. As I looked at the Goblin and Bull Demons, I knew they would stand no chance, but at this moment, we were all to scared. None of us had ever gone after five Behemoths. While I was watched the Goblin and Bull Demons, I saw them look over to me. The Goblin made constant references to us, my mind flurred with thoughts. I think the biggest one was that we weren't going to make it out alive. There were too many monsters, and our group was mostly magical, because even Beowulf had more magical ability then physical ability. Agrias had formed a group with the others and gone off, so it was only the five of us. Alma…will you be all right? Zalbag, everyone…I'm sorry.  
  
To my surprise though, when the Pisco Demons ordered the Behemoths to attack, the Goblin and Bull Demons immediately attacked back. They were constantly pointing at us, I think mostly Victoria though. Were they trying to protect her? Did they understand the fear she was going through? The pain she was in? They fought braver then I had seen any monsters fight before.  
  
"Everyone! Heads up! Fall in!" Everyone including Victoria, who was standing on her own but still shaking in fear and shock, surrounded me. "Those monsters aren't going to stand a single chance alone…but we can't run up there either. I'm going to sing the Nameless Song…Victoria, use your summons and Holy. Sachiko, Haste us all then use your Flare. Beowulf, use your Magic Sword as much as possible. Mustadio, jump in the water and use Earth Slash when possible and use Chakra to heal their magic. Whatever you do-DON'T GO IN RANGE OF THE BEHEMOTHS!!!" I didn't yell it, just stressed it a lot. The Behemoths couldn't go in the water and we were on the delta, so that could easily be used to our advantage.  
  
We joined in the battle. My song was able to reach the monsters that were protecting us as well. I should've known that even with Sachiko's and Victoria's magic, the monsters wouldn't live long.  
  
"Oh no!" Sachiko cried. "They're falling!" She nearly couldn't concentrate on casting her next Flare spell on the nearly dead Behemoth.  
  
"Concetrate Sachiko!" Mustadio called over to her after he finished his Earth Slash technique. "I know you care for them, but concentrate!" Mustadio was right; Sachiko always cared for the monsters we came across. When Mustadio found her wounded and stranded in Araguay Woods, it was because she was protecting a weak Chocobo and her babies. The Chocobo, Arcadia, joined us and the babies have been growing older and stronger under her care. Sachiko nodded and returned to casting a new Flare spell while Victoria summoned Clops.  
  
Beowulf, who wasn't fully concentrating on himself more then protecting us and the monsters, jumped onto the left bank where a Behemoth had moved to. Unfortunately, Beowulf didn't realize that has was close enough to the Behemoths range. However, one of the Bull Demons ran in front of him at the last minute to take the blow that killed him. He jumped back to the delta in shock and kneeled down for a minute trying to regain his composer. I looked at the Goblin who made eye contact with me and felt the courage he was showing. He had just killed the Pisco Demon.  
  
There were still five Behemoths left while there was only the Goblin and one Bull Demon. They had managed to weaken a Behemoth who ran off a safe distance away from all of us. I continued to sing as Beowulf, Victoria, and Sachiko casted their magic. Mustadio continued to use Chakra feveriously trying to keep up with their heavy magic use.  
  
We heard a loud groan and looked up. A Bull Demon had attacked a Behemoth nearly killing him, but suffered his fierce counter attack. "Oh my god!" Victoria cried as she was going to leap across the delta to the bank to revive him.  
  
I stopped my song and grabbed her left arm at first then her right one. "Victoria!"  
  
"What are you doing? Let me go! Let me go! I have to heal him! I have to heal all of them! What kind of white mage am I if I don't?!"  
  
I grippened my grasp around her arms. "Victoria! If you even cross that bank you're going to die and you know it! You know it for a fact because none of us will be able to get over there to heal you. These Behemoths are so much stronger then us!"  
  
"But they need us! They need help!" Victoria shouted back at me tears rolling down her eyes. As I gripped onto her I felt myself wanting to go over there use my Revive to bring them back. But I knew, God I knew too well, that if any one of us went over there, it would be the end undoubtly. I couldn't afford that. "Let me go!" She cried. We heard another groan and looked up. To our contentment, it was the Goblin finishing off the weakened Behemoth. The Goblin looked at us, pointed at the carcass of the Bull Demon and shook his head no. He then brought his hands over his head like he was casting magic and pointed it at the three Behemoths standing on the little islands at the top of the waterfall, and then the fourth that Mustadio had been weakening with his Earth Slash. Sachiko finished casting her Flare spell killing one of the Behemoths on the little island with two Behemoths. Now there were three left, and the Goblin was there alone.  
  
The Behemoths stood on the islands unable to move because of their inability to walk in the water and the Goblin was blocking them. Sachiko and Victoria casted Flare and Holy on the Behemoth. Beowulf waited since his Drain Magic Sword could not reach the Behemoths. Mustadio kept trying to heal the girls' magic. The Goblin, feeling confident he could attack the Behemoth, jumped into the water and punched the Behemoth. However, he missed and felt the wrath of the counter attack. We heard a small graon and we knew that he had fallen. However, we also knew that my Nameless Song had reached him and blessed him with Reraise. Victoria casted her Holy and the Goblin got up weakly. He looked at us and held his hand up weakly when he noticed she was going to cast a Cure 4 spell on the area near him. He looked up at the Behemoth who was looking down and laughing at him.  
  
With the last of his strength, and we all watched him, he stood up wearily and held his right arm back. He gathered the rest of his strength focusing deeply. We all knew that Sachiko's Flare wouldn't kill the Behemoth, and apparently the Goblin understood that too. We all knew that if the Goblin struck at the Behemoth, he would not kill him and the Behemoth would strike him back hard. I think the Goblin knew too. He looked at us and nodded his head. Victoria dashed into the water up to her neck and tried to reach out to him. The Goblin, with the last of his strength, attacked the Behemoth. The Behemoth struck at the Goblin and an eerie scream echoed through Finath River. It left all of us paralyzed.  
  
The Goblin had sacrificed himself. Himself. His life. His family. His friends. Everything he had had was now gone. Everything. He sacrificed himself all for some humans he didn't even know. For humans that constantly oppress his race.  
  
"Let me heal him!" Victoria cried. She started to cry as she couldn't pull her hands up to cast the spell, and as soon as she got to water where she could cast Raise, the Goblin's carcass was too far away. I grabbed Victoria to pull her up when she fell to her knees. I saw the tears in her face as she clung to me. I heard Sachiko cast her delayed Flare spell on the Behemoth. We heard its groan and suddenly, a look flashed between all of us. What the Goblin did for us will never be forgotten. The others may never know how the nobility of these monsters has moved us. But we know. The five of us will know forever.  
  
Although Victoria was afraid of the Behemoths, she jumped to the left bank where a Behemoth was about to jump onto the delta and slammed her old staff into the neck of the Behemoth. We all attacked the Behemoth in a combined effort, feeling the courage running through our veins after the Golbin's sacrifice. "This…is for him!" Victoria screamed as she killed the Behemoth with her staff and then dashed up the hill.  
  
Through tears, she realized that the Goblin's spirit resided in a blue glowing crystal. She knelt down and almost lost it all. Beowulf ran up beside her to protect Victoria from the second Behemoth's Sudden Cry. She jumped up and through her fury casted a Holy spell quickly, but it was the strongest and brightest Holy I had ever seen. That and an attack from my Bloody Harp was all it took to kill the Behemoth.  
  
Victoria dashed over to inherit the crystal of the Goblin. She held it in her hands and held it close to her. We knew it restored her strength and magic, but to her it meant so much more. It was apparent in her face.The last Behemoth had collected one of the crystals of the Bull Demons and started to attack Mustadio. We killed him very quickly with our combined efforts and strength.  
  
Victoria dropped to her knees in the water crying. I went over to comfort her. We all did. We all stood close to each other, in an attempt to comfort and calm each other. What had we just seem? We were in the toughest fight of our lives, not even the fight against any of the Zodiac Beasts were this difficult. The bravery we had just seen was never matched by any Knight or even any human. I don't know what motivated them today on Finath River…but maybe they knew that their actions would save people. Was it Victoria's scream of fear from Behemoths that motivated them? What? What forced the Goblin to put that punch in when he could've run to safety where we could've helped him? No, instead he decided to sacrifice himself. I cried myself, in fact we all cried. We all hugged each other realized what happened.  
  
But why? Why on earth would he give himself? What pushed him? What pushed all of them? We would never know, but I wanted to so badly. I wanted to know why they cared. If it weren't for them, that battle…our lives would be non existant right now.  
  
Of course, they will go down as unsung heroes. Well, maybe to the world. But if I, or any of the other four, was asked what pushed us…I think this would be a major factor. I know it will be for me, and definitely for Victoria. I think she finds some happiness as she stands in the same spot in the river holding her hands to her heart looking down at the water. I stood on the right bank, a bit away from camp. I remember years ago when we fought Goblins for the first time on Mandalia Plains how she freaked out and attacked them with her Mythril Dagger. I don't know how she'll be when we fight Goblins in the future.  
  
All I know, is that that Goblin, that small red Goblin, will forever be a hero. To all of us. To Victoria.  
  
Later, I walked back to camp and tried to tell Agrias the story. I guess…I guess it's one of those things, you really had to be there. On the delta, and see the Goblin's moves. And see Victoria and Sachiko at their prime. To see all of us at our prime. I've never fought so well my life. I heard Victoria trying to tell Samurai Erik the story, but it just seemed like nothing to them. We had had monsters that had joined as guests before, but none like our Goblin and Bull Demons.  
  
Forever, I thank you. With all my heart and soul. I know Beowulf, Mustadio, Sachiko, and Victoria all feel the same way. Because of you, our world was saved. Maybe you knew. Maybe you knew that we were going to save the world, save everyone. Maybe that's why you freed yourself from your bodies. I'll never know. But maybe, humans and monsters can really be together. Those monsters today prove it to me.  
  
  
  
*A/N  
  
This actually was a battle I had just recently. I didn't change any of the names and the battle basically went the same way as I described it in the story. It was just so weird because I saw the fight and I'm like "Oh my gosh, I'm gonna die," and then the Behemoths were almost oblivious to me…until Mustadio jumped on the right bank to use Earth Slash and the Behemoth almost killed him o.o;;. But yeah. And Victoria did collect the Goblin's crystal if you really care ^^. Anyway yeah, that's all. I just felt like telling you guys that everything except for the feelings and aftermath really happened in my game and I felt like sharing it cuz I thought it'd be a cool fanfic! Go me for having strange random battles in Final Fantasy Tactics and staying up into the random hours of the morning writing it!  
  
Thanks guys ;^_^; 


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